The Birth of an Empire
by Darthlink79
Summary: An interesting exploration of the founding of Britannia, and how Geass became "The Power of Kings". Arthurian Legends and Geass perspectives.
1. Chapter 1

"Áve María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum. Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus. Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae. Ámen." She clutched the Rosary tight, kneeling at the altar of the Cathedral tears streaming down her face. "Hail Mary, full of grace. Our Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

The darkness surrounded her the only feeling was that of the ice water falling from the clouds…her feet continuing to carry her into the city even though they were fatigued from running. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes cold with fear…gazing into the abyssal night as if the antichrist himself was pursuing her. It seemed like days that she ran, until she collapsed in a heap in the road, her body numb from the chilling rain and the constant exertion. The beat of her heart pounding in her ears as she rolled over to try and recover her senses.

How long she lied there in the freezing rain was unknown to her, it felt like days…but it doesn't seem to matter. _He_ had caught up to her. The man standing over her…his eyes filled with a demonic aura. She shuddered in fear… "I…Incubus!" she raised her hand and pointed at him timidly, too exhausted to resist. He defiled her in that night, the rain cascading down onto their bodies, she too weak to resist. One moment however, was burned into her memory for ever…

Her eyes met the demon's as he filled her womb with the demonic essence…  
gazing deep into the shimmering bird shaped sigils in his eyes.  
"**Inherit!"  
**Then the demon fell…lifeless.

"Pater noster, quī es in caelis Sānctificētur nōmen tuum; Adveniat regnum tuum. Fīat voluntās tua Sīcut in caelō et in terrā Pānem nostrum cotīdiānum dā nōbīs hodiē. Et dīmittē nōbīs dēbita nostra, Sīcut et nōs dīmittimus dēbitōribus nostrīs. Et nē nōs indūcās in tentātiōnem; Sed līberā nōs ā malō. Amen." She placed the Rosary down. "Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen."

She had confessed to her confessor…and they were to baptize the boy at birth to free him from the Devil's power. Months passed in the stone halls, the stone bones holding the halls of the Cathedral open, and everywhere she walked she felt the demon following her. It was as if he had stained her…become part of her. Everywhere she looked in the shadows she saw those horrible eyes…the shimmering bird following her, and every day she did rosaries and served the church hoping to rid the eyes from her mind. Nine months from that horrible day…she was purged of the evil within her.

The screams echoed all throughout the halls, she clawed at what fabric she had under her as her body arched in pain. Her body tensing and her loins burning, the slow and grievous labor took place. Many screaming hours later, the child spilled forth from the womb of the woman…and the priests immediately snatched the baby away. Sprinkling it with water the priests were to purge the demon from the baby. "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." After wrapping the baby and returning it to its mother…who was weakened and dying from the birth, they asked her to name the child. Myrddin. The name she uttered out weakly…before her frame fell limp…forever to sleep.

Life for young Myrddin was not easy, especially not in the village he was born in. They all knew he was the spawn of a demon, and most other children would not tolerate his presence. He spent most of his time in the library at the Cathedral, reading whatever literature he could. Despite his young age…having been born only seven years prior the young man had already developed an uncanny knowledge of Latin and the Anglo-Saxon tongue that was used around where he lived. It was this knowledge of Latin that he used to learn more and more, constantly buried in the dusty pages of the old library. He was the brightest boy in the Cathedral School, and many of the children and even some of the priests thought it was work by the devil…that the baptism had not purged him completely of it.

The turning point in Myrddin's early life was the fateful day when he discovered his "magic" roots. He was sitting in the grass next to the path out of the city into the mountains. He continued to draw the same shape in the dirt continuously. It was in all of dreams, all of his books…this bird shaped symbol that he didn't know what it meant. None of the priests could tell him, and they told him to ignore it. "There are many powers at work; the devil has his hand in this city. He brands his followers with a mark…the mark of the beast, so you must ignore this evil mark that appears in your dreams." He had heard other talk too…

"The boy seems to see far beyond his years. Perhaps he is a prophet, sent by God…a demon redeemed into an angel?"  
"Such talk is dangerous. To attempt to understand the divine beyond what is revealed to you is close to heresy. Be mindful of such thoughts."  
"Yes, Father."

_What did they mean? Demon redeemed? What…am I?_ He drew the symbol into the dirt…and but he was completely engulfed in shadows. _Hmm? _Myrddin turned and looked up at the other boys who were looming over him, menace in their eyes. "Hey everyone, the witch boy is all alone! Let's get him!" A few of the boys had sticks and stones, and Myrrdin got up, scurrying to his feet and ran into the city, the other boys chasing him.

_What did I do? Why am I being chased?! Why?! Why?! _He frantically tried to find a place where he could hide, but he was never very athletic, and outrunning the boys was not going to work too well. In his blind running he had backed into a dead end, unable to move any further as the mob closed off the entrance to the alleyway. _Our father, who art in heaven…_  
"Demon spawn…" The children said as they approached him...  
_Why?! WHY CAN'T I BE SOMEONE ELSE?! ANYONE ELSE!_

He felt a strange power well up within him…the symbol he had seen in his dreams appearing in his mind and overwhelming his vision. It started to obscure his self image…and he saw the boys step back in fear. "I-it-its him! N-no that's impossible! He was killed…we all saw him be executed for heresy!" Myrddin was utterly confused. "What are you talking about?"  
"G-get away!" They all turned and ran from him. He wandered around the city some people greeting him, others running in fear. Catching sight of his reflection in one of the puddles from the recent rain he began to worry. _My eye…what happened to my eye? This…this is the mark of the beast! I AM a demon!_ _I don't want to be a demon! I just want to be me! _Strangely, at that thought, the sigil in his eye faded and the people were treating him like normal again. He now knew he had a power…a magic power, the power to not be himself.

Geass.


	2. Chapter 2

The hooves of the horses clicked along the Roman Roads, much to the dismay of the young Myrddin, who had drank himself into a stupor in one of the bars the night before. Sitting up, he adjusted the hood he was wearing to block out the direct sunlight; he had come to Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire to try and find some information on this strange power he now possessed.

_Julius Caesar was visited by a sorcerer…with the ability to shapeshift as I have…his name was Merlinus. Rumor had it that –he- also had no father…perhaps born to an Incubus like myself. Myrddinus. Merlinus. It's almost too simple to be a coincidence._

His stomach growled…how long had it been since he had eaten…two days maybe? He followed the wafting smell of cooking meats and fish, and of expensive wines to a dinner party for the Emperor and high officials. With a slight smirk he visualized a Roman General, who he had seen two days prior masquerading through the city. The Sigil reappeared in his eye…_Cornelius Marius!_ and he approached the guards who were supposedly screening the guests, and they recognized him and let him inside. His senses were overwhelmed and his stomach gave him strong impulses to eat and he did. He ate rudely and without restraint, causing mess and mayhem…a few had assumed he had gone mad. He was held back by a few soldiers as the current Roman Emperor entered the room.

"Attention! All Subjects of the Roman Empire…presenting your current Emperor Romulus Augustus!" And with that the gracious Romulus Augustus entered the room, he was modest but never had too many guards about. _"It's him!" _another voice inside Myrddin's head rang! _"That traitorous swine! He does not understand!"_

_Who are you?  
"Me? I'm you. I am Orestes Augustus, former Emperor of Rome. Your father. And the one that gave you your power. Now let me speak!"_

It was as if some otherworld force had grasped Myrddin and he was forced into the back of his mind…the dark abyss that was his head. Everyone who saw the general Cornelius Marius shift in shape to the humble and starving scholar looked surprised. And then the common man raised his head to Romulus. "The wrathof the gods may be great, but it is certainly slow. To see men like you Romulus ruling the great mother of the world…Rome…is a sight my eyes cannot bear."

It was a brief instant before he had swords at his neck…he shifted his glance to the soldiers, his eyes meeting theirs, the piercing power of his Geass forcing them to back away. Romulus looked interested. "Speak wizard…if you have something to say about why I should not rule Rome. I will hear it."

"My name is Merlin…I visited Julius Caesar when he was emperor and prophesied in front of him as well. Your empire is crumbling…the power of the barbarian masses you have huddled and ignored inside your borders will cause your downfall. In fact we ourselves…are the last of the Romans." He glanced over at Romulus…the Geass staring into his mind, finding his thoughts. "Where are they? They days of the strong Roman Empire, the days when we weren't being foiled by action, by foolish barbarian tribes, such as that of Eowyn in what the barbarians are calling… 'Britannia'? This state is the result of a king…Eowyn, rising up on the Vox Populi, the words of the people, and defending what -they- wanted. You think you can silence the Vox Populi, by force and arms! Rome has always been a military state, even when the Orators of old understood the power of the Vox Populi and the vox itself. You fail to understand the words of Horace… 'brute force bereft of wisdom falls to ruin under its own weight.' Our empire in the east is falling to Persians, and Orientals…and the vain peoples of the east! Are we not ROME! The people will rise up with living voice, and tell you Romulus, that there is more to living than staying alive. You must not forget the wisdom from before Romulus…"

Merlin turned and headed for the door… "The die has been cast…What you do with it…is up to you. I go in peace…" he made eye contact, and at that moment…Romulus realized whom he was dealing with. "Orestes… Guards! Kill him!" Sword was drawn and sheathe renounced as Myrddin resurfaced, taking the shape of a random peasant woman as he ran into the crowd below.

_What the HELL was that?!_

_"Me?I was only putting my brother in his place. You and I are of the same mind, it is me who guided you here to Rome, and it is us who will deliver God's punishment to this Rome. Rome will not listen to the Vox Populi. We need…to go the land of Eowyn. Britannia. There we will find the last of the Roman Line…who can help us, and bring a new Empire, a strong empire...to the world. Law and Order, will be supreme again."  
_

_You're telling me…we need to build an empire?  
_

_"Yes…but first we need…immortality. The power of the Gods, we must find…the Fay. They live in Eowyn's land…"  
_

_Silly myths. There are no Fay, they are just a myth.  
_

_"Like Sorcery? Like the powers you and I possess?"  
_

_Yes.  
_

_"Are those Myth?"_

And so Merlin…the sorcerer Merlin, began his journey to Britannia.


	3. Chapter 3

The old door creaked open as Merlin stepped into the modest structure. A quick look around the old inn revealed that it was sparsely visited, even in this busy port-town. The breeze carried the scent of salt through the windows, and there was no one about. No one in the inn at all, except the innkeeper, he was an elderly man, with dark eyes and white hair. Merlin approached the old man, no shape cloaking his identity. "Excuse me sir…is this…Icius Portus?*" The innkeeper laughed, "You are trying to get to Icius Portus? You have been traveling the wrong way for many a day then sir. This is Portus Veneris*, along the coast of the Internum Mare*. You need to head north for a fortnight until you reach the Northern Coast, along the Fretum Gallicum*. Follow that westward and Icius Portus is right there. Though Britannian pirates prevent most naval travel across the Fretum, so if you are planning to go to Britannia you should be prepared to fight."

"Fight? I am not a fighter…is there no other way to Britannia?" Merlin began to feel discouraged, how was he going to cross the Fretum Gallicum? "I'm a Scholar from Rome, I was going to Britannia to attempt to learn about their ways…if you know anything please."

The innkeeper shook his head… "There is no other way, except to cross the Fretum by ship. Well…no way that anyone has ever been able to do. I suppose you could try to make it to Brivates Portus*, in the Northwest of Gaul. From there you might be able to catch a ship across Oceanus Brittanius*, however…many say the Fay and other spirits haunt that area, and you should only follow the road if you want to head there. Many travelers fall prey and wander into the Magical Forests there…looking for 'it'." He goes silent and returns to the invoices.

He looked up in curiosity. "It? Tell me about what they go looking for."  
"Will you rent a room?"  
"Of course." Merlin handed him some gold for the room and a bit more for the information. After carefully examining and counting out the money, the man continued.  
"Good…listen carefully. Supposedly the Fay guard a treasure of immeasurable value in the Magical Forests, in the Northwest. Something called the 'Fonticulus Adulescens*' they say that whoever drinks of the water there will become young, even immortal if you drink enough of it. But they only let the Fay and some Spell-casters go there. The rest the Fay devour or turn around or have wander until they die."  
"Thank you for your time sir." And with that Merlin turned and walked back to the room he had bought, and sat on the edge of the bed. "Northwest then…towards Brivates Portus, do you think it has a chance?"

"_The Fay could very well exist here in Rome, though the church has been working hard to reduce the numbers of 'Witches'…but I have only heard of the Fonticulus Adulescens in fiction, there is no way it could exist."_

"I'm going to check it out…"

"_If you insist, Myrddin."_

"But this bed is comfortable and this night cold. Let us rest here for tonight, and continue in the morning. Perhaps we'll find a Faery even before we reach Britannia."

* * *

*Icius Portus: A port to the North of Gaul

*Fretum Gallicum: Strait of Dover

*Internum Mare: Mediterannean Sea

*Portus Veneris: A port along the Mediterannian Sea, Near spanish border.

*Brivatus Portus: Port along the northwestern coast.

*Oceanus Britanius: Atlantic ocean between Gaul and Britannia

*Fonticulus Adulescens: Fountain of Youth


End file.
